Liberty Bell Park's Makeover, the New Pickleball Courts, and What Anthem Builds Next: How the 2026 Facilities Master Plan Works

In 2022, the Anthem Community Council's Facilities Master Plan Committee priced a list of 10 projects at $4.04 million. It included a museum, a lighted tennis court, turf on the North Grass, more pickleball courts, a revamped Liberty Bell Park, restrooms at three sites, and indoor multi-use courts. Four years later, the new pickleball courts are open, the dog park has shade trees instead of a restroom, the indoor courts are off the list, and Liberty Bell Park is being rebuilt as a smaller, cheaper version of its first design.

Anthem is now taking proposals for the 2026–2031 plan, and the deadline is 5 p.m. on Nov. 8, 2026. The first round is the best guide to the second. In Anthem, what gets built depends on a fee charged on home resales and on how much council-owned land is left. The proposals that held up last time fit both of those limits.

The money comes from the house down the street

The ACC doesn't receive tax revenue to maintain or expand community amenities. Recreation projects come mainly out of the Enhancement Fund, which is fed by a fee of one quarter of 1% on Anthem property resales. The council's packet says the fund averages about $500,000 a year, depending on home sales.

Every Anthem home that sells adds to the next playground shade sail or court resurfacing. A slow year for resales is a slow year for new amenities.

According to the ACC's July 2026 financial report, presented at the Aug. 26 board meeting, the Enhancement Fund held $1,113,455 as of July 31, 2026. Enhancement project spending through July was $161,000, against a $505,000 annual budget. That balance is a little over two years of average fee revenue. The 2022 wish list was eight times the fund's typical yearly intake.

What the 2022 list promised, and what happened to it

The ACC Board approved the 2021–2026 recommendations on July 27, 2022, and amended the list on April 26, 2023. Here's what council records show for each project that has a clear outcome.

The pickleball expansion shows why estimates matter. The 2022 placeholder was $600,000. The board later awarded the project to Haydon Construction for $1,211,352, with a 15% contingency bringing the not-to-exceed total to $1,393,055. That contract alone equals about two and a half years of average Enhancement Fund revenue. Construction started May 5, 2025.

The indoor courts went the other way. Once the cost moved from a $1 million placeholder to roughly $5 million, which is about a decade of fee revenue, the board removed the project in March 2025. The dog park restroom was scaled down instead of dropped. ACC staff priced shade and bench options from $50,000 to $150,000. In May 2025, the board chose the tree-and-bench option at $50,000 plus a 15% contingency.

None of the three restrooms on the 2022 list was built. A restroom costs money to build and more to clean, supply, and maintain every year after, and the council's current guidance to applicants is written around that ongoing cost.

Liberty Bell Park shows how the process works

The original Liberty Bell concept was priced at $500,000, covering splash pad improvements, outdoor fitness equipment, and shade. In April 2023, the board put it under advisement rather than moving ahead. A working group returned with a revised package, and the board approved it on March 25, 2026. The funding breaks down to $337,000 from the Enhancement Fund, $10,000 from the Reserve Fund, and $103,500 in contingency. The action brief gives the total as $450,000, while those three amounts add up to $450,500, the figure used in the June update.

Most of the revised design is shade and seating, with a few small play and convenience features. According to the council's June 2026 capital projects update, it includes:

• A ramada with picnic tables, shade canopies with benches, and artificial turf seating areas
• A tetherball and a gate for access from the parking lot
• A drinking fountain and open cubbies for personal belongings
• A shade canopy and benches by the sand pit, plus a large shade sail over the main playground
• A small soccer goal

The same update listed contracts totaling $301,617.98, which put the project $148,882.02 under its approved budget. It also said the splash pad would stay open during construction and the park might close for two to three days while the shade supports go in. At the Aug. 26, 2026 board meeting, project manager Kenneth Pate reported that permits had been approved and that the project was on schedule for substantial completion by the end of October. If you have kids who play at Liberty Bell, expect a short closure this fall and a much shadier park by Halloween if the schedule holds.

What the last round says about a strong 2026 proposal

The council's 2026 educational packet reads like a summary of what the first round taught. A notice posted Aug. 21 says this round focuses on projects that lower operating expenses or significantly increase revenue. The packet adds several limits that help explain why some 2022 ideas stalled:

1. No new land. The ACC has no unused or readily developable land. Proposals must go on existing ACC-owned property and improve or repurpose current spaces.
2. Protected ground stays protected. Much of Anthem's undeveloped land falls under Natural Area Open Space and wash protections. Work that disturbs soil or changes water flow may be prohibited.
3. Running costs count. Projects that add staffing, utilities, insurance, or maintenance put pressure on the Operating Fund and can lead to assessment increases. User fees, like the dog park membership fee, are one suggested way to offset them.
4. Green space has supporters. Anthem's original plan emphasized open green space, so proposals that repurpose it need to explain what activities get displaced.
5. Partners help. Applicants are encouraged to work with charter clubs, nonprofits, schools, and sponsors. Under the ACC Facility Naming Policy, major contributors can receive naming rights.

Each 2022 project that was built or survived in a scaled-down form fits within those limits. The pickleball courts serve a large, active group of players. The dog park shade was added to an amenity that already charges a membership fee. Liberty Bell's new features go on an existing park footprint. The indoor courts had none of those advantages at $5 million.

The packet also sets expectations. Anthem has almost 30,000 residents, and the council says that only a limited number of new projects may be approved because of funding, land, and staff capacity. Proposals are limited to five pages, not counting attachments such as letters of support, photos, or studies.

The calendar between now and Nov. 8

The deadline falls on the final day of Autumnfest, and a few other dates come before it. Here they are in order:

• Saturday, Sept. 27, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Market in the Park at Community Park, 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway.
• Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m.: The second and final FMP information workshop at the Civic Building. It covers what a proposal needs and how proposals are evaluated. The first workshop was Sept. 17.
• Friday, Oct. 9: The deadline for the Statement of Interest the council's Aug. 21 notice asks interested parties to submit through its volunteer form. The committee is chaired by Board Vice Chair Barb Patterson.
• End of October: The scheduled substantial completion of Liberty Bell Park.
• Nov. 7–8, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Anthem Autumnfest Arts & Crafts Fair at 41703 N. Gavilan Peak Parkway, with a pumpkin patch, a Rotary beer garden, live entertainment, and a carnival.
• Sunday, Nov. 8, 5 p.m.: Proposals are due by email to [email protected], which the council prefers, or in person at the Anthem Civic Building, 3701 W. Anthem Way, Suite 201.
• Saturday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m.: The Daisy Mountain Veterans Parade starts at Memorial Drive and Gavilan Peak Parkway and ends at the Anthem Community Center.

After Nov. 8, the committee reviews proposals and takes public comment from November through January 2027. Preliminary board consideration follows in February and March 2027, and final committee and board decisions are scheduled for June through September 2027. The educational packet, a sample template, and workshop details are on the council's FMP 2026 project page, and current fund balances are in its financial documents.

If you're drafting a proposal, a useful model is the Liberty Bell plan: an existing park, a list of shade structures, and contracts that came in about $149,000 under budget.

Whether you're thinking about your next move or just curious what nearby amenities and resales mean for your home's value, Elizabeth Chionchio is happy to walk you through it with clear, local MLS data. Reach out to Get a Free Local Market Consultation.